1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-functional peripheral device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-functional peripheral device in which a part of a loading unit is moveably and integrally formed with a scanning unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a multi-functional peripheral device is a device capable of performing multi-functions by combining a scanning function to read a document and input an image, a printing function to print the image, and any other suitable functions in one device.
FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-functional peripheral device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the device includes a printing unit 10, a scanning unit, and a loading unit 70 installed between the printing unit 10 and the scanning unit 80 to load printing media (S). A toner image is fused onto the printing media (S) and discharged from the device.
The printing unit 10 prints desired images. The printing unit includes a cassette 20, a developing device 30, a transfer roller 32, a fuser 50, and a discharging device 60.
The cassette 20 loads the printing media (S) under a main body 1 of the device. The cassette 20 is detachably installed. A pickup roller 21 is installed on an upper portion of the cassette 20 to pick the printing media (S) up one by one.
In the developing device 30, a photosensitive drum 31 has a surface charged to a predetermined potential. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 31 by light irradiated by an exposing unit 40 such as a laser scanning unit (LSU). The photosensitive drum contacts a transfer roller 32 while interposing the printing media (S) therebetween. In addition, toner is stored in the developing device 30 and the toner is supplied to the photosensitive drum 31 to develop the electrostatic latent image into the toner image.
The transfer roller 32 is installed to contact the photosensitive drum 31. The transfer roller 32 presses the printing media (S) passing between the transfer roller 32 and the photosensitive drum 31 toward the photosensitive drum 31 so that the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 31 can be transferred onto the printing media (S).
The fuser 50 is installed on a conveying path of the printing media (S). The fuser 50 heats and presses the toner image transferred onto the printing media (S) while the printing media (S) passes through the photosensitive drum 31 and the transfer roller 32 in order to fuse the toner image onto the printing media (S).
The discharging device 60 discharges the printing media (S), on which the toner image is fused by the fuser 50, onto the loading unit 70.
The scanning unit 80 is disposed above the main body 1 for inputting images by irradiating light onto a document. The scanning unit 80 includes a scanning frame 81 fixed on the upper portion of the main body and a cover 84 is rotatably installed on the scanning frame 81.
A glass plate 83 is installed at the upper portion of the scanning frame 81. An image sensor 82 reads the document placed on the glass plate 83 and inputs the image of the document disposed under the glass plate 83.
The printing medium (S) picked from the cassette 20 passes through the developing device 30 and the fuser 50 to form the image thereon. The printing medium (S) is discharged by the discharging device 60 and loaded in the loading unit 70.
The loading unit 70 can be divided into first and second loading units 71, 72, respectively. The first loading unit 71 has a height H1 from the scanning frame 81 to the bottom of the loading unit 70 and the second loading unit 72 has a height H2 that is less than H1.
If the printing media (S) loaded on the loading unit 70 is A4 size or larger, the edge of the printing media (S) can be placed on the second loading unit 71. Therefore, a user can relatively easily grab the printing media (S). However, if the printing media (S) has a size smaller than A4, the printing media (S) is loaded in the first loading unit 71, and it is relatively difficult for the user to draw out the printing media (S) by hand.
Since the space of the loading unit between the scanning unit and the printing unit is minimized in order to minimize the size of the entire device, the height H2 of the second loading unit 72 is reduced. Thus, it is difficult for the user to draw out the printing media (S) in a case where the printing media (S) has a small size such as a postcard.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved multi-functional peripheral device including a loading unit which loads printing media including a plurality of portions that can be separated from each other when the scanning unit rotates.